New Delhi: The conviction of Ajmal Amir Kasab
in 26/11 attacks case by a special court in Mumbai will bring
"pressure" on Pakistan to act against main conspirators based
there, security experts here feel.
International relations expert Professor Brahma
Chellaney at the Centre for Policy Research feels that the
judgement will bring "pressure" on Pakistan to act against the
conspirators there.
"It is Pakistan which is dragging its feet in the matter.
Now that India has done its part, its the turn of Pakistan to
act," Chellaney said.
He said the judgement was a "fair" one. "The fact that a
couple of accused have been acquitted shows that judge has
reached an objective conclusion," he said.
Former Intelligence Bureau Chief Arun Bhagat felt that
the way Pakistan was acting in the case, it was nearly
impossible to nail the culprits in that country.
"I am afraid the main conspirators will get away as
Pakistan is not interested. They are demanding documents from
India whereas the investigations should have taken place
there. Just before the pronouncement of the verdict in the
case, they wanted Kasab as well. The case is spread across
three continents but people who conspired, funded and designed
the 26/11 attack are in Pakistan," he said.
He said the Benazir Bhutto assassination case is a
testimony of how investigations are handled in Pakistan.
Bhagat said the judgement was on expected lines as there
was "overwhelming evidence" against Kasab and it was a open
and shut case.
"About the other two accused there was very little
evidence. They were not prime accused. They could have
provided logistics and supporting material but were not
involved in the killing," he said.
Over 17 months after he and nine other perpetrators
unleashed death and devastation on the financial nerve centre
of the country, special anti-terror court judge M L Tahaliyani
convicted Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab for the carnage
that had left 166 people dead.
Kasab, who hails from Faridkot in Pakistan, now faces the
prospect of death penalty.
The court also held that 20 of the wanted accused,
including LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, operations chief Zaki-ur
Rehman Lakhvi and Abu Hamza were involved in 26/11 conspiracy.
Two alleged Indian conspirators -- Sabauddin Ahmed and
Faheem Ansari -- who were claimed to have prepared the maps of
the terror targets and handed those over to Pakistan-based
Lashkar-e-Toiba for execution of their plans, were acquitted
of all charges as the court said the evidence produced by the
prosecution could not be relied upon.
-PTI
